Sandgroper (insect)

Cylindrachetidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Orthoptera
Family:	Cylindrachetidae (Giglio-Tos, 1914)
Genera
Cylindracheta Cylindraustralia Cylindrodes

Sandgropers are wholly subterranean larviform insects of the family Cylindrachetidae that may grow up to 7 cm (3 in) long. Three genera are currently recognised: Cylindracheta, Cylindraustralia and Cylindrodes. Like many subterranean animals, little is known about their habits and diet, but Western Australian farmers have blamed them for substantial crop losses.

Sandgropers were once thought to be degenerate mole crickets, but they are now known to be more closely related to grasshoppers and locusts, and have been given their own family.

Although widely believed to be herbivorous, some have been found with animal remains in their gut.

Range

• Australia:
  • Cylindracheta is found only in the Northern Territory
  • Cylindraustralia widely except in the south-east and Tasmania
    • six species have been recorded from Western Australia of which five are believed to be exclusive to that State. C. kochii and C. tindalei are found in the Perth region.
• New Guinea:
  • Cylindraustralia
• Argentina:
  • Cylindrodes

Popular culture

In the 1980s, television station TVW Channel 7 in Perth, Western Australia released a stuffed toy sandgroper for sale named "Sunny The Sandgroper", with proceeds going towards Telethon. "Sunny Sandgroper" was then used as a regular character, along with Fat Cat and Percy P Penguin, in TVW-7's 'Earlybirds' morning children's show. West Australians have been known colloquially as sandgropers, with references to the name being found as early as the 1890s.^[1]

References

• "Sandgropers". Western Australian Museum. http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/collections/natscience/invertebrates/sandgropers.asp. Retrieved September 30, 2006. 
• Marshall Martin (2005-05-21). "Real Sandgroper revealed". ABC. http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2005/05/21/1372920.htm. 

1. ^ "Fitzroy City Press.". Fitzroy City Press (Vic. : 1881 - 1920) (Vic.: National Library of Australia): p. 2. 31 January 1896. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65660706. Retrieved 23 October 2011. 

This Orthoptera-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Grasshoppers Insects of Australia Orthoptera stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу Dave S. Walter Memorial Stadium Charlie Shreck Look at other dictionaries: Sandgroper — may refer to: *Sandgroper (insect), a type of burrowing insect found in Western Australia * Sandgroper, nickname for an inhabitant or native of Western Australia * The Sandgropers , a nickname for the representative Australian rules football team …   Wikipedia sandgroper — Australian English Resident of Western Australia; sand burrowing desert insect …   English dialects glossary sandgroper — /ˈsændgroʊpə / (say sandgrohpuh) noun 1. Colloquial someone who was born in Western Australia, or who has come to regard it as his or her home. 2. a burrowing insect of the genus Cylindracheta, which is similar in appearance to the mole cricket… …   18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”